David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly lunged at and attacked a Coast Guard officer who was boarding the boat against his wishes,

Photo: CBS San Francisco

David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer...

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David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly lunged at and attacked a Coast Guard officer who was boarding the boat against his wishes,

Photo: CBS San Francisco

David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer...

Image 3 of 5

David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly lunged at and attacked a Coast Guard officer who was boarding the boat against his wishes,

Photo: CBS San Francisco

David John McCormick was arrested for assaulting a federal officer...

Image 4 of 5

In this file photo, U.S. Coast Guard petty officer Jonathan Harrington of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hawksbill stands on the bridge while on patrol in the San Francisco Bay on March 7, 2013 in San Francisco, California.

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

In this file photo, U.S. Coast Guard petty officer Jonathan...

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In this file photo, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast navigates San Francisco Bay on March 7, 2013 in San Francisco, California.

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

In this file photo, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast navigates...

A sailor broadcast a fake SOS call in an Australian accent, saying his "mate" had fallen overboard, before warning Coast Guard crews that his was a "peace ship" and that any attempt to board would be an "act of war," authorities said in court records.

David John McCormick, 47, appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on charges of communicating false distress, failure to "heave to" and assault on a federal officer for the weekend incident off Sausalito.

McCormick, who has valid passports from Ireland and New Zealand, is being held on an immigration hold. He has not entered a plea.

About 9 a.m. Sunday, the Coast Guard received a call "from a male voice with an Australian accent saying, 'Mayday relay, mayday relay, spots overboard, oh he's over mate and he need some help. He's over, um, in the fog somewhere in the bay, I don't know where, but I'm trying to search for him so if you boys got a pretty quick boat to whip over here, get over here, jiffy, cheers buddy thanks,' " an investigator wrote in an affidavit.

About noon, the same man contacted the Coast Guard to report that his "best mate" had been found, Trinidad wrote.

Coast Guard crews found McCormick on his 45-foot sailboat, the Fortune, moored off Sausalito and asked to come aboard, but McCormick told them, "This is a peace ship and any attempt to board my vessel is an act of war," the affidavit said.

McCormick also told the Coast Guard that he had ordnance onboard his vessel to defend himself before he cut his anchor line and sailed away, authorities said.

For the next six hours, several Coast Guard boats chased McCormick. About 7:15 p.m., as the boat was about 2 1/2 miles off Ocean Beach, a crew boarded the boat. McCormick told them to remove their duty weapon belts and became upset when told that his "voyage was being terminated," Trinidad wrote.

McCormick "raised his fist as the officer attempted to handcuff him, then flailed his open hands, striking the federal officer approximately three times in the face," Trinidad wrote.